Refs Have It In For Dundee United!!!

Scottish referees clearly have a personal vendetta against Dundee United - after a 3rd ridiculous red card in under 2 weeks.

Willo Flood was sent-off (again) in the 90th minute of a reserve match against Kilmarnock on Tuesday night, because he was too keen to take a free-kick.

Referee Rafferty showed the Irish midfielder a 2nd yellow card, after he tried to take a quick free-kick in the 3-2 reserve defeat.

Fortunately Flood will still be available to play in the 1st team match against Hibernian at Tannadice on Saturday, but Dundee United are quietly fuming over the number of woeful decisions that have gone against the club.

Dundee United have now had 3 players sent off this season.....one for falling over, one for a slide tackle and now another sending-off for trying to take a quick free-kick.

On Monday night, the whole of Scottish Football was shocked by the sending-off of Christian Kalvenes live on Setanta Sports - with former United player Billy Dodds described the incident as a "fix".

Dundee United were leading 1-0 at Rugby Park, thanks to a 50th minute goal from Noel Hunt, but referee Brian Winter turned the game by sending off the United left-back with 15minutes remaining.

The defender's slide tackle on Killie's Steven Naismith looked perfect, but referee Winter was the ONLY person inside the whole ground who thought it was a straight red card - much to the disgust of manager Craig Levein and the travelling United supporters.

"What I can't get my head around is why, for the life of me, it was a red card - it just doesn't make sense," complained Levein after the 2-1 defeat.

"Unfortunately, I've got a dressing room full of players who are absolutely gutted and the supporters will be absolutely gutted."

"I wonder if the referee will refund their money for coming down here, or if each of the players can invoice the referee for their bonus money?"

"They have got a hard job, but that decision was just so easy to make - it was not a foul, it was a good tackle."

Supporters of all SPL clubs have demanded an enquiry into referee Brian Winter's actions, with Dundee United expected to hear on Friday afternoon whether they've won an appeal to the SFA over the red card against Kalvenes.

"The review panel is sitting because the referee has informed the SFA he does not feel it should have been a red card, so that means all they have to decide is whether it should have been yellow or nothing at all," Craig Levein told the Evening Telegraph.

"If they do decide it's yellow, I will be very angry because it was a fair tackle and he should have nothing on his record, but the main thing is that I will have Christian available for Saturday and that's the way we are working in training."

Against Aberdeen on the opening game of the season, Flood was sent-off for "diving" - after losing his balance and received a 2nd booking for "simulation".

He didn't claim for a free-kick, but because Flood was sent-off for a 2nd yellow card by ref Mike Tumilty, Dundee United are not able to appeal the decision.

The only question left is.....which Dundee United player will get sent-off against Hibernian on Saturday and what pathetic excuse will the referee come up with this time????

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